Chapp's

Visited: Saturday April 24, 2010

6219 Oakmont Blvd
Fort Worth. TX 76132
817.263.5172
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So, we went to the Fort Worth location on Oakmont and had heard good things about this place. We were underwhelmed for sure. Like a lot of the burger joints, you order at the counter and then find a seat. The decor leaves you saying, "I hope they spent a lot of money on the food."

When our burgers arrived served on a round white tray on paper, the burger had a flag sticking out of the bun that read - Genuine Nolan Ryan Beef.  I am not sure why that is important or how it made my burger taste any better- in fact, I would say it did nothing more than present itself as pina colada's sad cousin (umbrella reference.)

The buns were baked in the restaurant and toasted - good. And the temperature was good. The fries on the side were skin on hand cut fries. But they tasted like they were cooked in the same grease as the fries from a few weeks ago. And they were overdone. But this is a burger competition, so I digress. 

The burgers were a ½ lb. of fresh 100% Nolan Ryan! ground beef. (Could not resist) An array of compliments such as grilled onions, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, tomato, & pickles to choose from as well as your choice of  American, Swiss or Cheddar Cheese. But as you can see from the picture, when you use a huge platter for the food, your burger looks rather puny - probably why the best joints all use baskets.

Unfortunately, when you start going someplace new each week and see whats out there and available in burgerdom, you will quickly say that Chapp's joins the likes of Snookie's in in the "and also serving burgers in Fort Worth" category.  They won best burger in 2004, but a lot must have happened since then. Too bad - especially since this is family-owned and we always pull for the local.

Stats:

Locations: 9

Date Est: 1984

SCORE: (1 - 5)

Burger: 3 pickles

Sides: 2 pickles

Menu: 2 pickles

Character: 1 pickle

Service: 3 pickle

                                                 Price: $7 cheeseburger

Fred's Texas Cafe - Top 10 Rank

Visited: Saturday April 17, 2010

915 Currie Street

Fort Worth. TX 76107

817.332.0083

Map

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Burger was great. Served on a plate with handcut fries (skins on) the basic cheeseburger comes with

Stats:

Locations: 1
Date Est: 1978

SCORE:
Burger: 4 pickles
Sides: 2 pickles
Menu: 3 pickles
Atmosphere: 4 pickle
Service: 3 pickle
Price: $7 cheeseburger

Trailboss Burgers

Visited: Saturday April 10, 2010

140 East Exchange Avenue

Fort Worth. TX 76164

817.625.1070

Hours: Sun thru Thurs, 11am - 7pmMap
Friday, 11am - 9pm
Saturday, 11am - 10pm
 

Website

Menu

This place is in the optimal spot for burgers - the Fort Worth Stockyards. Its actually part of the Risky's family of restaurants. Risky's started in 1927 as a barbecue joint and has several locations around the city. Trailboss is their attempt at a burger done the Fort Worth way.

This place has a lot of character. From the saddles you can sit on whilst you eat to the cowboys who serve you to the red and white checkered table cloths. the menu is more traditional restaurant then burger joint as there are more entries for non-burgers than there are for burgers. The claim to fame for this place is their buffalo burger. We tried this on one visit and found it to be dry and not so famous. But since these reviews are about the basic staple cheeseburger, we had to go back and try that as well.

The "Trail Boss" (which you have to get if you want the right amount of meat) is served in a basket with white Risky's paper. It comes with American cheese, lettuce, pickle, tomato and onions. The beef patties are round, thin 1/4 lb versions that make it hard to create much juice. The Trail Boss is 2 patties stacked to get it into the serious burger category. We are not fans of this because, as we said, its hard to get a lot of juice from such a thin patty. And, lets face it, 2 patties versus one big one just seems lame for a burger joint. The seasoning was average, but the temperature was good. The bun is standard issue, but it was toasted which is good.

The fries are disappointing crinkle-cut from a bag and deep fried just like a fast food place. They are seasoned with black pepper and salt.  They were served cool (both times we visited) and not piping hot.

As we stated, the menu is large and varied. This place has an outdoor patio and lots of character. Plus it sits just across the street from the Cowtown Rodeo, so you have got to like that. We would recommend this place for an entertaining outing with the family, but not place it on your "must eat" burger list in Fort Worth.

Stats:

Locations: 1

Date Est: 2004

SCORE: (1 - 7)

Burger: 4 pickles

Sides: 3 pickles

Menu: 3 pickles


Atmosphere: 5 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Billy Miner's Saloon

Visited: Saturday April 3, 2010




150 West 3rd Street
Fort Worth. TX 76102
817.877.3301
Map
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Located in the heart of Sundance Square downtown, this bar is a hot spot for tourists (not locals.) This used ot be a fun place in the days when you could eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor.

Burger was dry and uninspired. It comes plane on a Mrs Bairds bun and you make it your way in the old style "fixins" bar. Portion is 1/2 pound. 


Burgers are served on a wrapper in a tray with the fries in thier own basket.  Appearance was dissapointing and temperature was okay. Honestly tweeted that Whataburger beats this easy. 

This burger will make our Top 10 Worst list.
Stats:
Locations: 1
Date Est: 1985?

SCORE:

Burger: 1 pickles

Sides: 2 pickles

Menu: 2 pickles

Atmosphere: 3 pickles

Service: 1 pickle

Price: $7 cheeseburger

Lili's Bistro Top 10 Ranker

Visited: Saturday March 27, 2010

1310 W Magnolia Ave

Fort Worth. TX 76104

817.877.0700

Map

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Menu

We love stories of places like Lili's (short for Liliana, the place's 6 years old namesake.) Vance Martin has done a terrific job bringing gourmet flair to the cheeseburger.

This place, located on Magnolia Ave next to the Fairmount neighborhood, is probably our favorite for atmosphere. It is an old building with exposed brick and vaulted ceiling. Down side is that it is tiny and you will most likely have to wait. The upside is that the wait is worth it.

If you are a cheeseburger "purest," this place may not be for you. It is a bistro and has that feel and the food (as you can see) is served with a chef's flair. The burgers are flavored well and cooked medium (the way it should be.) You get your choice of sourdough or jalapeno bread for the bun. The fries are waffle-style and we even tried them with some Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled across the top for added flavor. (add $1.50)

The burger is served on a real plate (not a basket) and is a 1/2 lb portion. Service was okay, but not at the same level as the food. Diet Coke is in a can. (Big pet peeve of mine since the flavor is not the same as fountain and they charge you more for it.)

Lili's is the first place where Burger Saturday found itself squarely in the face of the debate of - do we need "categories" of burgers to judge? In other words, the grease-juiced burger of Pop's or Kincaid's is very different than the gourmet style of burger we had here. Perhaps as this journey continues, we will have to break the Top 10 Rank into 2 parts - pure and gourmet. But for now, we will keep moving forward. After all, its not like we are as different as McDonald's in comparison.

Stats:

Locations: 1

Date Est: 2007

SCORE:

Burger: 4 pickles

Sides: 4 pickles

Menu: 4 pickles

Atmosphere: 5 pickle

Service: 3 pickle

Price: $9 cheeseburger

Jake's

Visited: Saturday March 6, 2010



6333 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth. TX 76116
817.737.5253
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 10pm

Fri - Sat 11am - 11pm
Sun - 11am - 10pm

Map
Website
Menu


This place is from Dallas, but we will not hold that against them. Part Hooters, part sports bar, the burgers are definitely worth checking out. We have scouted and eaten at both Fort Worth locations, but this review is about the West side one. The inside is cool since it was actually built by Tim Love as Deuce, his second concept in Fort Worth, that served as the victory party place for his win on Iron Chef, but soon after closed its doors. the remodel Jake's put into the space makes it electic, but not in the good "been here for many years" way. Its more of a tried to fit our burger joint into this fine dining place. Imagine having your III Forks salad from Silver Fox inside McDonalds.

Its a mixture of sports bar and fine dining with a fireplace and water feature on a an enclosed outdoor patio. There is even a cool band stage at the back for a fun evening of music with your burger. And LOTS of TVs for great viewing. they definately did this right.

The sign on the outside says award-winning burgers and there are plenty of Dallas awards for thier meatery. However, we will start by saying this is not a Top 10 ranker for us. Remember, we do the basic cheeseburger for an burgers to burgers comparison and in this arena - Jake's falls short. They do, however, have an exetnsive bruger menu and even a fun "burger of the month" program with specialties like the Fritos Chili Pie burger. (very Texas state Fair of them.) So, we woudl give them props for this and one day when we right the best specialty burger blog, we expect these guys to be up there. But that is someday.

Using fresh ground beef, this place is part of the "stackables" family of burger attempts. The patties are 1/4lb each and like most thin patties, the juice factor is not great. The #3 Cheeseburger is 2 patties, double American cheese and is garnished with onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and mustard. Served in a basket with tissue paper, the burger itself comes blanketed in a foil wrapper.

The temperature was good, bu the flavor of the meat on its own - our true test of award winning - leaves much to be desired. Like many places, they seem to rely on their toppings for thier story more than their beef.

The bun here is unique. It is toasted and has more seeds than stars. It makes for a unique flavor. The fries are machine sliced, skin on potatoes. The poriton is solid, but in the 6 times we have been there, most times the temperature of the fries is less than desriable.

All in all, this is a solid place, but the burger falls just short of being award-winning in our book. But do try the fried pickles while you are there. They are a good. Stats:


Locations: 6


Date Est: 1985




SCORE: (1 - 7)

Burger: 4 pickles

Sides: 4 pickles

Menu: 5 pickles

Atmosphere: 4 pickle

Service: 4 pickle

Price: $9 cheeseburger (with fries)

Boomerjacks Grill

Visited: Saturday February 27, 2010


2600 West 7th Street
Fort Worth. TX 76107
817.810.2666
Map
Website
Menu

Stats:


Locations: 1


Date Est: 2008







SCORE:  (1 - 5) 


Burger: 3 pickles


Sides: 2 pickles


Menu: 3 pickles


Atmosphere: 3 pickles


Service: 3 pickles


Price: $8 cheeseburger

Chubby's Top 10 Ranker

Visited: Saturday February 13, 2010

7618 Camp Bowie West
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
817.560.5515
Map
Web
Menu

Chubby's Burger Shack is the brain child of Craig Chapman and Scott Hooten. they wanted to create the best burger joint in Fort Worth. And they made a great start. Making it into our Top 10 List, Chubby's freshness pays off. The atmosphere is more what you expect in a place out in the "hunting" parts of Texas where you get your burger after you spent the day on your lease. There are plenty of deer heads and other "trophies" on the wall along with some good ol boy NASCAR and Pabst Blue Ribbon (still around) signs. There is a good size patio outside and they get some local live music every now and then. So, I guess you could say there is some character.

The burgers are 1/2lb and larger round than thick. The buns are over sized as well. The burgers are served open faced in a basket. This is because besides the main items like cheese, bacon, etc. you add your own fixins. In a throw back to the Burger Chef days, there is a fixins bar with, we kid you not, a jug titled "heavy duty mayonnaise." Nice. (MBH loves him some mayo.)

The temperature was good. It was made fresh to order. The meat was seasoned, but not as well as others, like say Pop's. The buns are toasted, which as you know is important. There are several side choices, but we went with the traditional fries. These were hand-cut and seasoned great - lots of peppery flavor. There are several choices of specialty burgers including the Chubby Challenge which is a 3lb burger that, if you can finish it, will be names after you!

We have tried this place a few times and each time the service is slow and not anything to write home about. But its what you can expect from high school kids waiting on tables. So, although the service is suspect, you will like this burger. There are plenty of options and crushed ice from the fountain. And be sure and ring the bell when you leave to let the chef know you approve.

Stats:



Locations: 1 
Date Est: 2009


SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 4 pickles


Sides: 3 pickles


Menu: 4 pickles


Character: 3 pickle


Service: 2 pickles


                                                 Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Love Shack Top 10 Ranker

Visited: Saturday February 6, 2010


817 Matisse Suite 455 (So7 @ Trinity Park)
Fort Worth. TX 76107
817.348.9655
Map
Website
Menu




Tim Love (owner of The Lonesome Dove Bistro, our favorite Fort Worth restaraunt) has opened Love Shack So7 in the So7 development in Fort Worth's Seventh St. corridor. The inside dining area is 1,500 square feet; outside, the size nearly doubles to include a live music stage and lounge area. This is a fun outdoor space and is very family friendly. Burger has great flavor. Definitely little greasy, but that is good. Buns are toasted, which we like, and portion was 1/3rd pound. Dirty Love Burger (our favorite) comes with cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, a fried quail egg and the special "love'' sauce. Options for mushrooms, bacon and jalapenos and other fun stuff.

In addition to menu faves like the Dirty Love Burger and special root beer blends, Love will add a lobster roll (be still, Downeasters) the Love Bird (a grilled chicken sandwich) and a fish burger on a whole wheat bun.




Burgers are served in basket (unwrapped) with fries or onion rings. Appearance was good and temperature was great. The sides at this place are also a big plus. Handmade shakes make a great pairing.


Stats:

Locations: 2
Date Est: 2009

SCORE:


Burger: 5 pickles
Sides:4 pickles
Menu: 4 pickles
Atmosphere: 4 pickles (So7)
Service: 3 pickles
Price: $7 cheeseburger

Snookie's

Visited: Saturday January 23, 2010


2755 S Hulen Street
Fort Worth. TX 76109
817.207.0788
Map
Website
Menu



So when you go to a sports bar for food, you get sports bar food - and Snookie's was no different. A one time "Best of" winner, it appears its been a long time ago. The interior is full of LCD TVs and a full bar with drink specials. But this is about burgers.

The basic cheeseburger was good, but not great. The temperature was good, but the juice factor was average. We feel you need a lot of napkins when you eat a burger, but you can get by with one on this one. The basic burger comes with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and mustard. Served basket style, it started of right. The presentation was okay.

The bun was toasted and had good flavor - at least it didn't look or taste like a "wrapper" bun. (meaning it could be, but it did not seem like it.) The fries are hand-cut skin on (which you will find at most burger joints.) But they were overcooked and bland.

The service was average especially considering that they were only two other tables in the place when we were there. And the best test, we had dinner later. If we get knocked out, usually we can only do an ice cream or something for dinner because we are still full. We were not full from this.

Every now and then we come across a place that should deliver (won awards on other people's top 10 lists) but we finish the meal saying "I don't get it." And this time, we don't get it. Sorry.

Stats:

Locations: 3

Date Est: 1990

SCORE: (1 - 5)

Burger: 3 pickles

Sides: 3 pickles

Menu: 3 pickles

Character: 3 pickle

Service: 3 pickle

                                                 Price: $8 cheeseburger

Charleston's

Visited: Saturday January 16, 2010




3020 S Hulen street
Fort Worth. TX 76109
817.735-8900
Map
Website
Menu


Okay, so maybe you would not think to pick this place for Burger Saturday, but the truth be told, the first places we visited were the "top 10 burgers" as ranked by Urban Spoon. Love the Urban Spoon ap on my phone, but when it comes to this level of ranking, it does struggle a bit. But I digress.




Charleston's is a chain restaurant (privately owned) based in Oklahoma City. If you have been to a Houston's restaurant, you have been to a Charleston's - they look identical inside.


The burger was average at best. It was good, but nothing to get excited about and certainly nothing to vault it onto any Top 10 list. It was served on a plate with fries. Fries were also very normal. the bun was not fresh or toasted - which is important to us.

Lesson learned today - if they have carpeting get out!


Stats:


Locations: 15


Date Est: 1987




SCORE:

Burger: 3 pickles


Sides: 3 pickles


Menu: 2 pickles


Atmosphere: 2 pickle


Service: 3 pickle


Price: $7 cheeseburger